Double-cutting biopsy bistoury



April 25,1950 5. B. GUSBERG ETAL DOUBLE-CUTTING BIOPSY BISTOURY Filed April 20, 1949 w M T Patented Apr. 25, 1%50 2,5055358? DOUBLE-CUTTIN G BIOPSY BISTOURY" Saul B." 1 Ginsberg; and EdwardiE .Ii. Sovatkimz. New

JY'orlnN. Y.,. assignurs to .la Sklar-Manufaetur-- ing 00., Inc., Long Island .Gity,',N-.- aicorpnration of New York Application April 20, 1949, Serial No. 88,566

3 Claims.

This invention relates to an instrument for shipping or cutting a specimen of tissue, particularly from the uterus for subsequent laboratory examination to determine the presence of diseased tissue and particularly for the purpose of determining whether such tissue is cancerous.

A suitable instrument for snipping or severing a specimen of such tissue, is made available by this invention.

The drawings show a life size view of the complete instrument, Fig. 1 being partly in section showing the snipping members spaced apart, and Fig. 2 showing the complete instrument with the parts in their relative positions during insertion and after snipping.

The entire instrument I is made of metal, preferably of stainless steel having a knurled elongated handle 2, and aifixed therein, at its upper edge, a circular post 3. The circular post 3 is provided with a circular flexible rod 4 as a continuation thereof, whereby the elongated handle 2, the post 3 and the rod 4 are'in fixed relation. The rod 4 is about the diameter of the post 3 and many times longer than the post 3, the overall measurement of the entire device shown in the drawings being approximately 9 /2 inches. A sleeve 5, having a knurled surface is mounted to slide upon the post 3. The sleeve 5 has secured thereto the tubing 6 which is slidably arranged on the rod 4. The rod 4 and the tubing 6 carry two cup-like members I and 8. The members 1 and 8 are provided, respectively, with sharpened cooperating snipping or cutting edges 9 and Ill. The member I is provided with a smooth beadlike dome Ii acting as an inserting head.

The instrument consists of two relatively movable units, the longer unit comprises the handle 2, post 3, rod 4 and the cup member 7, all aligned in fixed relation. The second unit consists of the sleeve 5, on the post 3, tubing 6 and the cup member 8, sliding with the tubing 6, to make contact with the cup member I. The sleeve 5 is always in contact with at least a portion of the post 3.

A surgeon desiring to examine tissue of a patients uterus, brings the two cup members 1 and 8 into contact, as shown in Fig. 2, locates the closed cups opposite the tissue from which a specimen is to be snipped, withdraws the lower cup 8, by sliding the sleeve 5 outwardly on the post 3, thereby separating the cups to their relative position shown in Fig. l, (at which they are about an inch apart) ,aligns the tissue from which a specimen is to be snipped between the two separated cups 1 and 8 and then moves the sleeve 5 upwardly on the post 3 until the cups engage such tissue and 2 then, while holding the handle 2 rigidly, presses upwardly on the sleeve 5 and simultaneously turns the same, whereby a specimen section of tissue is snipped by the combined pressure and cutting action of the cups and by the rotation of the lower cup 8. The maximum separation of the handle 2 and the sleeve 5 is about one inch and corresponds to the maximum distance apart of the two cup members 1 and 8. The surgeon b this arrangement may hold the instrument by firmly grasping the handle 2 in the palm of his hand and applying upward pressure upon the sleeve 5 by the use of the thumb and index finger. Inasmuch as such fingers will readily span the short distance through which the sleeve 5 is movable, the required pressure may be exerted by the thumb and index finger upon the cups 1 and 8. This arrangement permits the ready insertion and positioning of the instrument under the control of one of the surgeon's hands, and further permits the same hand to apply contact pressure of the two cups upon the tissue. When the device is manipulated for actual severing, the other hand of the surgeon is required in order to rotate the sleeve 5 while continued pressure is being applied, upon the sleeve 5, by the hand which grasps the instrument. When the snipping action is completed, the surgeon may then withdraw the instrument with finger pressure still applied to the sleeve 5 to keep the cups in contact and confine the snipped specimen within the two cups. The cups may then be separated and the specimen removed for laboratory examination.

The device may be made in different sizes, the

' device shown in the drawings representing the largest size required by a surgeon.

We claim:

1. A bistoury for snipping specimen from tissue, comprising a handle, a post on the handle, a rod on the post, a sleeve on the post, a section of tubing secured on the sleeve and encompassing said rod, a pair of cone-shaped cup members, one carried by said rod and the other by the tubing, snipping edges at the bases of said cups, said sleeve, tubing and cup carried thereby being slidably and rotatably arranged for such movements, said snipping edges interengaging when the sleeve has been moved to its maximum extent and thereby interengaging said snipping edges and closing the recesses in the cups, said handle being of such length as to fit crosswise in and be grasped by a hand of the user, said sleeve being at all times within the reach of the thumb and index finger of the user when the handle is so grasped.

2. A bistoury of the character set forth in claim 1 in which the upper cup member is provided at its apex with a dome.

3. A bistoury for snipping specimen from tissue, comprising two interengaging members, one of said members consisting of a handle, a post on the handle, a rod on the post, a cone-shaped cup member on the free end of'the rod, the other member consisting of a sleeve mounted on the post, a section of tubing carried by the sleeve and an inverted cone-shaped cup member at the free 10 end of the tubing, said members having relative sliding and rotary movement, said cup members having cutting edges at their bases, said cutting edges interengaging when said second member is moved to its maximum extent, the inverted cup ll member, while in engagement with its companion cup member, being capable of rotation with said sleeve.

S. B. GUSBERG.

EDWARD J. SOVATKIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,167,014 O'Brien Jan. 4, 1916 1,867,624 Hoffman July 19, 1932 

